Spool construction having a snap-off end portion



March 11, 1969 LAUEN ETAL I 3,432,116

SPOOL CONSTRUCTION HAVING A SNAP-OFF END PORTION Filed July 24, 1967 INVENTOR. MARGUERITE M. LAUEN BY JAMES E; LAUEN United States Patent 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a spool construction for carrying thread or similar line materials that has a cylindrical body and enlarged circular end flanges. At least one of the circular end flanges has a weakened portion along a straight line spaced radially outward from the center of the spool and which weakened portion may be broken off to provide the end flange with a flat surface to prevent rolling of the spool on a surface.

Background of the invention Spools having a cylindrical body with enlarged circular end flanges on each end have been used for many years to carry thread, yarn, wire and other similar line materials. Because of the circular end flanges, these spools roll easily when placed on a relatively flat surface. This capability has the disadvantage of allowing the line material to unwind off the spool when the spool is inadvertently placed with the circular end flanges on a relatively fiat surface. Anyone who has used spools of this type easily recognizes the aforesaid difficulty.

Spools having this shape have been used for many years. Thus machinery for winding the line material such as thread on the spools are normally constructed to use spools having circular flanges on each end. Also spool dispensing and vending machines are constructed to dispense spools having circular ends. Thus the long accepted use of spools having circular ends seriously restrict and often prevent the practical use of spools that have flat end portions. Yet the end user of the spool finds it advantageous to have. a spool with flat end portions on at least one end of the spool that prevents inadvertent rolling of the spoolon a surface. Thus it is advantageous to have a spool construction that has circular end flanges during manufacture, winding of line material on the spool and dispensing, and which spool has a portion of one of the circular end flanges that can be easily broken off giving a flat surface to the circular flange.

Summary of the invention The spool construction of our invention comprises a substantally normal spool shape with a cylindrical body having enlarged circular end flanges. The thread is wound around the cylindrical portion and carried thereon to point of use in the normal manner. Either the entire spool or at least one of the end flanges is made of a material that is rigid during normal use of the spool and yet is breakable along a line on the end flange by the user when the spool is weakened as disclosed hereinafter. The use of breakable material with the weakened portion permits the user to snap off the portion of the flange along the weakened line thus allowing the user to give a flat side to one of the circular flanges. This prevents rolling of the spool on a substantally flat surface.

The weakened portion may be weakened in any of several different ways, such as by cutting a groove into the face of one of the circular end flange portions, drilling spaced holes into one of the circular end flanges along the line on which it is desired to have the portion broken off, or the portion may be weakened by cutting or the like. As a modification, a film such as a paper label is glued or cemented on the end of the weakened flange. The film tends to hold the weakened portion to the body of the spool during manufacturing, winding of the line material and distribution to point of use. The film would be weakened by perforation or the like along the line of the groove or holes in the face of the circular end flange.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a new and improved spool construction.

It is another object of our invention to provide a new and improved spool construction in which one of the circular end flanges may be made to have a flat side by the user.

It is another object of our invention to provide a new and improved spool construction in which the spool will have circular end flanges through manufacture, winding the thread and transportation to point of sale, and that may be easily converted to having a flat surface on one of the end flanges by the user to prevent rolling of the spool.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will appear from the following description taking in connection with the following drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end view in perspective of an illustrative embodiment of our invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of an illustrative embodiment of our invention.

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the embodiment of our invention illustrated in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a side view of an embodiment of our invention with the weakened portion in broken and raised position.

FIGURE 5 is an end view taken along 4-4 of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an end view of an embodiment of our invention with the weakened portion created by a groove cut in the face of one of the end flange portion.

FIGURE 7 is a side view with the weakened portion removed of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 6.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a conventional, domestic, sewing machine thread carrying spool 10 having a central cylindrical portion 24 and circular end flanges 12 and 14 secured to each end. This spool is preferably constructed of cellular plastic material having a weight of 4 to 13 pounds per square foot. Also the spool may be constructed from other suitable materials, such as regular wood, balsa wood, or other frangible materials that are capable of being snapped off when weakened in the maner that will be more particularly described hereinafter. Also our invention may comprise a spool having an end portion 14 that is constructed from a material different from that of cylindrical member 10 or end flange 12 and which end member 14 is secured .in construction to the cylindrical portion 24. In the latter embodiment the end portion 14 would be made of frangible material, such as cellular plastic material, balsa wood, or other suitable material.

In the spool 10, see FIGURE 1, a cylindrical hole extends through the end flanges and the cylinder and has a diameter suitable for fitting onto sewing machines or the like. The end flange 14 has a weakened portion 20 that is made by cutting a groove 18 in the face of the end 14 along a line spaced a radial distance from the cylindrical hole 16. It is desirable that the groove 18 be spaced a given radial distance outwardly from the maximum outer circumference of the thread wound on the cylindrical member 24. This prevents end exposure of the wound thread. Notch 32 is for receiving and holding the loose end of the thread.

Also the flange member 14 may have a plurality of holes 22 that are drilled through or substantially through the thickness of the flange member 14 in a manner to weaken the construction along line 22 so that the outer tip portion 23 may be broken off by the user.

When the spool is made of cellular plastic material having a weight of 4 to 13 pounds per square foot, the thumb nail or a user may be pushed into the material along groove 18 or along the plurality of apertures 22. This will further weaken the end flange along the line of groove 18 or aperture 22 to more easily permit the outer portion, as for example, portion 20, to be snapped by the user. Of course wood, used to make known in the art spools, may also be used to make this spool. However more fran gible material such as light wood or certain plastics are more preferable materials.

In a modified construction of the invention, see FIG- URE 2, the end flange 14 having groove 18 cut therein has a film 26 of paper or other suitable material secured thereto by glue, cement or other known suitable attachment means. The film 26 may carry advertising, indicia, or the like. The film 26, see FIGURE 3, has a series of perforations 30 therethrough that indicate the location of groove 18 and also provide a place for running the users thumb nail to pierce the film 26 as a preliminary move to breaking off portion 20 by the thumb of the user in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5.

In addition to using a groove 18 or drilled apertures 20, the end flange may also be weakened by cutting or slicing the material substantially through the flange 14 as illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7. The flange 42 has a slot 49 cut therethrough leaving non-cut portions 46 and 47 at A the ends thereof. Pressure applied by the thumb on portion 48 will snap-on portion 48 giving the fiat flange portion 50 as illustrated. In the embodiment of FIGURES 6 and 7, a stronger material such as wood, or the like,

may be used in making the spool construction and yet have the portion broken ofl through pressure applied by the thumb of the user as previously described. The flange portion may also be broken off by pressing it against a table or other hard surface. Also in FIGURES 6 and 7, there may be mounted thereon a paper label or other film material as previously described relative to FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5.

While the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail, it is to be understood that other modifications are contemplated that would be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A spool construction for carrying thread comprisa cylindrical body having enlarged circular end flanges on each end,

Cir

said body being capable of carrying thread wound thereon, said end flanges being made of breakable material, at least one of said flanges having a weakened portion located in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of said cylindrical body and spaced a distance radially outward from the outer surface of said cylindrical body, and said weakened portion permitting a user to snapoff the portion of said flange radially outside of said weakened portion giving a flat side to said flange. 2. A spool construction for carrying thread as claimed in claim 1 in which,

said weakened portion is positioned radially outward of the outer surface of the thread that may be wound on said cylindrical body. 3. A spool construction for carrying thread as claimed in claim 1 in which,

said weakened portion comprises a groove in the outer surface of at least one of said flanges. 4. A spool construction for carrying thread as claimed in claim 1 in which,

said weakened portion comprises a slot cut in the outer surface of at least one of said flanges. 5. A spool construction for carrying thread as claimed in claim 1 in which,

said weakened portion comprises a plurality of holes in the outer surface of at least one of said flanges. 6. A spool construction for carrying thread as claimed in claim 1 in which,

said weakened portion comprises a recess in the outer surface of at least one of said flanges, and a sheet of material being adhered to and covering substantially the outer surface of said recessed flange with a weakened portion in said material aligned along the weakened portion of said flange. 7. A spool construction for carrying thread as claimed in claim 1 in which,

said cylindrical body and said end flanges are made of expanded cellular, plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 487,704 12/1892 Back 242118.7 3,105,655 10 /1963 Park et al. 3,207,394 9/1965 Claridge 242125.2 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 368,098 2/1939 Italy.

GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Primary Examiner. 

